In big cities, neighbors are nice to say hello to or maybe socialize with once in a while, but in small Missouri farming communities, neighbors are very much more important than that. You depended on them for your very survival. It didn't matter if you liked some more than others. They were your neighbors. And in Lordor's community, considering they had all come from different places, and even the Swedish had come from many parts of Sweden, they were a pretty harmonious group.